Alchemy Systems
Alchemy Systems designs and sells AI-powered multi-lane optical sorting systems (SureSort) for material recovery facilities, replacing manual and single-commodity sorting in municipal and commercial recycling operations across New Zealand, Australia, and North America.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersAuckland, New Zealand
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Alchemy Systems does
Alchemy Systems Limited is a New Zealand-based industrial technology company that designs and sells AI-powered optical sorting equipment for material recovery facilities (MRFs) processing curbside and commercial recyclables. Founded in 2009 by engineers Paul Qualtrough and Tom Laurie alongside Hamish Kennedy and Gavin Reeve, the company operates from Auckland with a team of 1–10 employees and is privately held with no disclosed external institutional investment.
The company's single core product is SureSort, a multi-lane optical sorting system that uses computer vision to identify and sort multiple recyclable commodities (PET, HDPE, polypropylene, aluminium, fibre, and others) in a single pass, replacing traditional one-machine-per-commodity optical sorters. Each lane uses an auger-based hopper for singulation, real-time AI identification, and precision air jet ejection to deliver material at up to 9,000 items per hour per lane with stated output purity exceeding 95%, complemented by closed-loop recirculation for missed items and self-diagnosing remote monitoring. The modular lane architecture enables incremental capacity scaling and is designed for both retrofits and greenfield installations.
Commercially, Alchemy earns revenue through SureSort hardware sales, ongoing technology licensing for software upgrades and support, and managed service contracts under multi-year bespoke quotations. The company sells directly to MRF operators in Australia and New Zealand and exclusively through Sparta Manufacturing as distributor and systems integrator in North America. End customers include municipal recycling authorities such as the Centre County Recycling and Refuse Authority (Pennsylvania) and the Wellington MRF (New Zealand), with the company also serving recycling systems integrators as a business-unit channel partner. R&D has been partially funded through New Zealand government grants from Callaghan Innovation dating back to 2014.
Alchemy Systems firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Alchemy Systems
- Legal name
- Alchemy Systems Limited
- Website
- https://alchemysort.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Alchemy Systems designs and sells AI-powered multi-lane optical sorting systems (SureSort) for material recovery facilities, replacing manual and single-commodity sorting in municipal and commercial recycling operations across New Zealand, Australia, and North America.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Alchemy Systems industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Recycling Sorting Equipment
- NAICS
- Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513), Materials Recovery Facilities (56292), Materials Recovery Facilities (562920)
- SIC
- Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827), Measuring & Controlling Devices, Nec (3829)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Advanced/Optical Sorting & Quality Control Services (NIR, AI, Robotics) (BPALADAH)
Keywords
Where Alchemy Systems is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Auckland
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices3 records
Markets served
Alchemy Systems business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- SureSort Equipment Sales: Sale of SureSort optical sorting systems including the AI vision hardware, multi-lane sorters, and auger-based hopper systems. Systems are sold to MRF operators for new installations or retrofits.
- Technology Licensing: Customers receive a technology license for continual upgrade and support, providing ongoing software updates and system improvements.
- Service and Support: Ongoing service and support for installed systems, ensuring peak performance over the working life of the equipment.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom quotation-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Alchemy Systems product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Alchemy Systems develops and sells SureSort, a multi-lane AI-powered optical sorting system for Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs). Each lane identifies and sorts every recyclable commodity that passes through it in a single pass using AI computer vision and precision air jet ejection, processing up to 9,000 items per hour per lane with output purity greater than 95%. The system automates container sorting for plastics, metals, glass, and fibre, replacing or supplementing manual sorting in recycling facilities.
Product overview
Alchemy Systems offers a single unified product: the SureSort multi-lane optical sorting system. SureSort is an AI-powered automated container sorting solution that processes mixed streams of recyclables (plastics, metals, glass, and fibre) using computer vision and precision air ejection. The system is designed for Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) and replaces or supplements manual sorting. Its modular multi-lane architecture allows facilities to scale by adding lanes as volumes grow, with each lane capable of sorting every commodity in a single pass rather than dedicating separate machines per material type.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SureSort: Multi-lane AI-powered optical sorting system for recycling facilities. Identifies and sorts multiple recyclable materials including PET, HDPE, polypropylene, aluminium, fibre, and glass in a single pass. Features include multilane sorting, advanced AI with >95% output purity, integration into existing facilities, processing speed of up to 9000 items per hour per lane, and closed-loop recirculation for higher recovery rates.
Products and services
- SureSort SureSort is a multi-lane AI-powered optical sorting system for Material Recovery Facilities that identifies and sorts multiple recyclable commodities (PET, HDPE, polypropylene, aluminium, fibre, and glass) in a single pass. Each lane uses AI computer vision to recognize materials in real time and ejects them via precision air jets into the correct stream, achieving greater than 95% output purity at up to 9,000 items per hour per lane. The system includes an auger-based hopper for material singulation, closed-loop recirculation for missed items, and self-diagnosing remote monitoring. Customers receive a technology license for ongoing upgrades and support.
Quantifiable outcome
- Output purity greater than 95%
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Alchemy Systems
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Alchemy Systems technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature9 records
Alchemy Systems partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Sparta ManufacturingcoreSparta Manufacturing is the distributor and systems integrator for SureSort across North America. They bring Alchemy's optical sorting technology into Sparta's single-stream recycling systems for municipalities and MRFs across the continent. Sparta has spent decades designing and building recycling systems in North America with deep relationships across municipal and private MRFs of all sizes. Rather than treating SureSort as an add-on, Sparta integrates it directly into systems they design and build — conveyors, structural steel, and controls engineered around SureSort lanes from the outset. They handled the CCRRA project as systems integrator, engineering and manufacturing conveyors and structural steel while integrating the SureSort system into the line.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Alchemy Systems competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat4 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Alchemy Systems social profiles
Digital presenceAlchemy Systems financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Alchemy Systems leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Alchemy Systems funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Alchemy Systems M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Alchemy Systems
What does Alchemy Systems do?
Alchemy Systems develops and sells SureSort, a multi-lane AI-powered optical sorting system for Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs). Each lane identifies and sorts every recyclable commodity that passes through it in a single pass using AI computer vision and precision air jet ejection, processing up to 9,000 items per hour per lane with output purity greater than 95%. The system automates container sorting for plastics, metals, glass, and fibre, replacing or supplementing manual sorting in recycling facilities.
Is Alchemy Systems a public or private company?
Alchemy Systems is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Alchemy Systems founded?
Alchemy Systems was founded in 2009. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Alchemy Systems based?
Alchemy Systems is headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does Alchemy Systems make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. SureSort Equipment Sales are the primary driver. The others are technology Licensing and service and Support.
Does Alchemy Systems have an API?
No public API is recorded for Alchemy Systems.
What industry is Alchemy Systems in?
Alchemy Systems's product category is Recycling Sorting Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPALADAH, Advanced/Optical Sorting & Quality Control Services (NIR, AI, Robotics). Its NAICS code is 334513 and its SIC code is 3827.